Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. That right belongs to Nintendo X) I do own this fanfic!

A/N: Once again, I thank all of you for the reviews and feedback. If you haven't done so already, cast your vote because it will disappear in a couple of days.

A/N: This is a very important chapter, although everything has came from my imagination.

White's PoV.

I was in awe when my mother managed to make Confagrigus faint a couple of moments after Drifblim did, although I could see how crestfallen she was when she recalled Drifblim back into the Great Ball before sending out a Pokemon named Mesprit.

Mesprit appeared in a fetal position before bringing itself upright, floating several feet in the air, emitting waves of excitement and cheeriness while giving a crooked yet carefree grin.

"I had never seen this Pokemon before," whispered N.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw N taking out the Pokedex from his pocket, brandishing it at me.

I was about to nod in approval when I noticed my mother taking a step forward while Ghetsis seemed to waddle, his robes slithering behind him. "I know your two remaining Pokemon," he told my mother icily, his piggy eyes narrowed. "In fact, I would love to see one of them again."

My mother, who had also narrowed her eyes, jutted her chin, her expression defiant.

Ghetsis dropped his feigned friendly disposition, barking, "EELEKTROSS, USE CRUNCH!"

Eelektross glided through the air, his teeth chattering dangerously. No, check that! Eelektross wriggled his way through the air like a worm.

My mother punched her fist in the air, screaming at the top of her lungs, "MESPRIT, USE PSYCHIC!"

Just as I was about to ask N to gather more data on Mesprit, something clasped my arm, the grip gentle at first.

I wheeled around, seeing a disembodied hand, covered with a glove Team Plasma members wore, was there. Hatred swelling up like a balloon in my stomach, I tried to pull myself away, but the grip tightened drastically, forcefully pulling me up.

They seemed to have noticed the broken hand for they were clutching on to both my forearms. They found us, I thought. "I'm not gonna be imprisoned again, do you hear me?" I growled underneath my breath, trying to kick the Team Plasma grunt in the shin, but ultimately failed, for they'd crossed my arms into a position I couldn't escape from.

Despite my questionable trust of N, I said heartbreakingly, "N!"

The grunt and I withdrew into the shadows, invisible to all. Even though it was no use, I tried to kick the grunt again, aiming even higher, but they said, "Do you really want to do that?"

Thoughtlessly, I brought my leg down, recognizing that voice. God, it felt as if it were yesterday I'd heard that voice! But it also aroused suspicion. "Who are you?" I hissed, sure that I was hearing things.

"WHITE?" N called through the gloom, his footsteps faint in the distance.

"N, HELP ME -" I began to say, but the grunt covered my mouth with their hand while pressing me closer to their chest. My head collided into breasts, allowing me to identify my captor as a female.

"UNHAND ME THIS INSTANT!" N's velvety, serene voice demanded, instantly reminding me of the way a sovereign would speak.

There were two Team Plasma grunts, although why weren't the Shadow Triad here?

Shutting my eyes, I heard a masculine voice say, "Did you get White?"

That voice also rang a bell in my mind, forcing me to open my eyes once more.

As I attempted to bite the woman's hand, she replied, "Of course I did!"

The man seemed satisfied, for he said, "Excellent, because I've found King N Harmonia, meaning our work here is done."

The woman steered me around, marching me straight forward through the darkness, dragging me into an uncertain future, with N following right behind me.

Chapter 9: The Deal

White's PoV.

I heard nothing but footsteps belonging to the woman, the man, N and me plus the raging battle between my mother and Ghetsis, exhilarating and unpredictable. The only things I could make out were the semi-darkness and the towering silhouettes of the columns.

For a while, I didn't say anything, because I already knew the Team Plasma members were ordered by the Shadow Triad to find N and I because we had escaped from our squalid cell, leaving nothing behind but a demolished brick wall in our wake.

"Where are you taking us?" I demanded, feeling the throbbing in my broken hand. "Most importantly, who are you?"

A sigh, full of melancholy and sadness, escaped from the grunt's mouth, but that was the only reaction I had received from the mysterious woman. Upset at how this conversation was turning out, I lowered my head down in an N-esque fashion, although he could pull it off much better than me.

I strained my ears, hoping to hear N's voice. Unfortunately, I heard nothing but silence from his end, nothing but footsteps answering me. Oh, what have we gotten ourselves into? For the umpteenth time, I aimed a kick at the woman's shin, but I missed again, much to my dismay.

The two grunts guided us through the rows of columns, which was also a maze as well. I didn't know how long I could stand this torture, from being rendered helpless to making my way through a labyrinth of pillars holding up a white marble arch, ornate in appearance.

The clash between my mother and Ghetsis was louder than ever, both of them yelling at Mesprit and Eelektross to give it their all. I felt even worse that I couldn't support my mother from afar, as opposed to being nearby.

Finally, three shafts of bright light streamed through an almost-invisible glass dome, simpler than the one N and I glanced upon earlier. I wanted nothing more than to slap myself in order to make sure I wasn't being delirious, for why would we be led into rays of sunlight, faint particles of dust afloat?

Then, there was another set of twin white marble doors, gilded with gold.

As my captor steered me into the shafts of light, she released her hand from my mouth, sighing heavily. With me trapped within her arms, the grunt had no choice but to let go of one of my forearms, delving her gloved hands into pockets. "Which one was it again?" she mused, pulling out a ring of keys.

"Try the small, sharp one," the male grunt restraining N told her, "and it looks old-fashioned, made out of br -"

The woman waved the key in front of her accomplice, matching the description of what he had in mind. It was tiny, the edges narrow and sharp, the head of the key stamped with an almost-obliterated fancy, elegant H. The whole key was made from brass, losing its luster long ago.

Dragging me towards the door, the woman fiddled with the key ring, surveying a door knob. Inserting the key into it, she turned it around counterclockwise until a distinct, clicking noise radiated from the doorknob.

N and the man appeared in our midst, N pensive. The man, on the other hand, pushed his knee against the door, forcing it to creak open slightly. "Should we reveal ourselves?" he asked the woman.

As the woman gripped the key, I growled, "As if I care who you are or not!"

The way she extracted the key was reminiscent of somebody I knew, although how can it be her? "That wasn't too hard," she said, throwing the keys back into her baggy pockets. "You do care who I am, White Snow."

As the Team Plasma grunt released me, I glared at her, saying, "Very few people know my surname, meaning I definitely know you." I was too shocked to even entertain the idea of running.

"Her last name is Snow?" I heard N ask. "I never knew that."

The woman gave a pleasant laugh. "Oh, White, funny as usual." Tenderly, the woman pulled her hood off, revealing a girl, about sixteen, with crystal blue eyes and sleek, straight blonde hair. Her skin tone reminded me of alabaster, since she was so pale. "I'm soooooo sorry for scaring you," she apologized, her face matching her tone of voice.

"B-Bianca?" I sputtered, taken aback. "Did you? How did you? When -" I couldn't find the words to ask if she came with my mother, how she found me and when did she arrive.

I wheeled around, seeing the other man let go of N, pulling his loose hood down as well.

He was around N's, Bianca's and my age, with messy, choppy, ear-length black hair, a shade darker than the darkest of blue colors. Sticking outward was a sturdy tuft of black hair, spiraling through the air. His skin tone was creamy brown, with midnight blue eyes, framed by glasses.

"Cheren," I realized.

Beckoning toward both of them, my friends embraced me. In spite of the situation, I cracked a smile.

N's PoV.

I snapped out of my reverie, seeing White giving a happy-go-lucky smile, embracing her two best friends. It kind of made me jealous she embraced Cheren whilst I felt bummed out she favored Cheren more than Bianca and I.

Even though the reunion was sweet, I couldn't help but be angry at White's instant forgiveness of her friends scaring the hell out of her. Besides, their plan instantly made me suspicious and distrustful of them.

Stepping forward, I said, "If you are really Cheren and Bianca, then answer my questions." Consciously, I fiddled with the handcuffs still attached to my wrists, wondering if Cheren or Bianca had the key.

Bianca extricated herself from White, walking over to me whilst taking out the ring littered with keys from her pocket. "Okay, maybe I have a key to sort out your little predicament."

I wanted nothing more than to shrink back into the shadows; even though I knew Bianca and Cheren were White's and my tickets to freedom. Grudgingly, I allowed Bianca to test each of the keys in order to find a perfect match.

As she tried a square-headed bronze key, I demanded, "How did you steal these keys from the Shadow Triad?"

In spite of myself, I eyed White chattering away with Cheren. Inadvertently, I narrowed my eyes.

Bianca frowned, fiddling with her fifth key, a simple leather-headed key similar to the one she'd used to open the door. "I thought they were supposed to be bodyguards and whatever, but there they were, being lazy in the conference room, all asleep and stuff."

I shook my head. "It must've been your lucky day, then," I told her with a condescending air.

I stared at Cheren, who stared at me. "If you're Cheren, then tell me something I heard Cheren say," I ordered, earning a disapproving glance from Cheren.

"'You talk too fast,'" he remembered swiftly. "Actually, you still do."

Was it just me or was Cheren embracing White tighter on purpose, throwing an arrogant look at me? Before I could push that thought away, White extricated herself from Cheren, instantly making me relieved.

Bianca released a sigh, her eyebrows furrowed. "None of these work!" she cried. "Perhaps we should go back to the conference room and frisk a key, you know!"

Cheren shook his head. "Bianca, leave him be," he responded. "I like him better like this."

White's face twisted with rage, her eyes flashing murderously. "Like my mother always says, 'forgiving is divine,'" she snapped, balling her unbroken hand into a fist before loosening it again. "I know what he did, but even though I forgave him, I'm not gonna make excuses for his behavior."

Bianca smiled. "You tell Cheren, White!" The blonde looked apologetically at me before storing the key ring back into her pockets. "I hate the idea -"

Cheren swerved around, tapping his glasses. "As do I, Bianca," he said, glowering at me, "but if we found him hanging around White, then maybe we could trust him."

Bianca turned around, going to where White and Cheren were, crestfallen at her failure. "You totally think I will forgive him that easily?" She raised her brows so high they were on the verge of vanishing into her hair. "I agree a hundred percent with White. It's worth a shot trusting him."

I stormed over, anger blocking my mind from thinking rationally. "I don't care whether you trust me or not," I addressed Cheren, "but all of us share a common goal along with "Dawn"." Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself down. "I just want to get these handcuffs off, 'cause they aren't for show."

Cheren examined me, as if analyzing the best solution to take me down. "You're no king and absolutely nothing like us." Flicking a strand of his hair, he went on, "I find these handcuffs to be suitable for you, because it's retribution for your heinous crimes -"

"Which I regret and hate thinking about," I murmured.

"And for that . . . I find it hard to trust you -"

White stepped into our midst, looking pleadingly at both of us. "Can we stop this?" she asked. "I don't like arguing, okay? Right now, we need to sneak into the conference room, so N can be free of his handcuffs. Cheren, the past is the past!" She was furious at Cheren, because he flinched. "By the way, how did you sneak in?"

"You're angry yet you want to know how Bianca, your mom and I got past Team Plasma security?" Cheren asked in disbelief.

White nodded. "Yes."

Cheren ventured over to the door, lightly pressing his gloved palms across the surface, forcing the already-ajar door to open a little more. "I'll fill you in on the way," he promised.

Bianca shook her head disbelievingly. "Now, Cheren," she told him bossily.

When Cheren slipped into the crack, his body disappeared. A fuming White followed suit, murmuring something about Cheren being too difficult and complex to understand.

Bianca and I stared at each other for a moment before we moved forward as one, Bianca squeezing through the door easily. "We're waiting."

I wheeled around, casting one last look at the throne room before inching my way toward the door, sliding through the crack as easy as pie. When I came out, Bianca twirled around, quietly shutting the ancient door. "Thank you," I managed to say, boring my eyes into hers.

"For?"

Tearing my eyes off her face, I said, "You two went out of your way to help me." I bowed my head down, wondering why I was worth saving. White never mentioned to them I was worth saving, but why did they go out of our way to help me? I couldn't help thinking, seeing Bianca and Cheren flip their hoods up, disguising themselves as Team Plasma grunts once more.

Cheren gave a derisive snort. "It wasn't for you. I did it for White's sake." With that, he wheeled around, White aligning herself next to him.

As Bianca sauntered forward, I murmured, "What a jerk."

White's PoV.

I gazed at the castle corridors in wonder. Despite being painted a wheat yellow shade, they seemed to shimmer, even though there was light. Cheren and I walked past tapestries, portraits of Pokemon, N, Ghetsis or the symbol of Team Plasma. Statues of legendary Pokemon were stationed atop granite pillars, eroded and dull in color.

What was odd was that we didn't run into anybody, Team Plasma grunt or one of the Shadow Triad, which struck me as suspicious. "Anyways, you promised you would tell me why Bianca, my mother and you came all the way to N's Castle."

Cheren started. "I did promise." He cupped his cloaked chin, the atmosphere around him weighed with pensiveness. "After those morons knocked you out with chloroform, abducting you – Ghetsis informed your mother he wanted a deal."

N snorted. "Ghetsis is anything but fair," he pointed out. "But what is this deal of his?"

"I'm getting to that," Cheren said coolly, lowering his hand. "Ghetsis challenged your mother to a Pokemon Battle at the castle, saying if he won, you would stay with him and N forever, which naturally made your mother upset."

Bianca piped up, "And if your mother won, she demanded for Ghetsis to hand over you, N and a stone." I imagined her turning around, asking N, "Do you know anything about a stone your father has?"

Wheeling around, I saw N heave a sigh. "Don't call him my father," he said, irritated. "I think I saw a stone one time, but I was like really small, so I really can't remember that well." N had a very convincing tone to his voice, although when he locked eyes on me, I knew he was lying. "So, I can't give any leads."

We came to a flight of stairs, different than the ones I had climbed when I was going to confront N. This one was wider, the steps crafted out of basalt, draped by an electric purple carpet, emblazoned with the Team Plasma coat of arms.

"Was the castle always like this or was it innovated?" I wondered aloud.

N snickered. "You barely saw five percent of the castle -" he paused for a moment, "I thought I knew this place until I found out it had secret passageways." He strolled over, Bianca right behind him. "Turn around, White, because –"

I slammed into another replica of a Pokemon statue, collapsing on to the linoleum floor. "I always do this," I muttered, feeling slightly disoriented. "First, my hand and -" N appeared into my line of vision, holding a hand out.

I snapped back to reality. As I climbed onto my feet, I growled, "Cheren, Bianca and N! You know how accident-prone I am." For emphasis, I held up my broken hand, still tightly wrapped by N's fabric.

Bianca blinked. "I'm such a bad friend!" She ran over, holding me tightly. "You poor thing, what happened?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw N bow his head down, Cheren throwing him a deadly glare. "He had something to do with it," Cheren surmised, his voice sounding irate.

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter right now," I said finitely. Swerving around, I took the first step on the stairs, seeing a frosted double-paned window, the rays of the summer sun shining down upon the topmost stair.

Shaking my head, I advanced upward, trying not to trip over any of them, because the last thing I needed was a broken ankle, shin or leg. "Bianca, what kind of deal did they make?" I wanted to hear Bianca's point of view, knowing that she spilled all the details, trivial or not.

"Well . . . your mother isn't an idiot," she said bluntly. "I'm not calling her one, either. But the way Ghetsis and she were speaking, I think they know each other, but . . . who am I kidding?" Bianca laughed shrilly. "After your mother struck the deal, I saw suspicion in her eyes, as if Ghetsis was going double-cross her or something.

"When Ghetsis left, your mom was hysterical. She didn't want to go alone, so she asked Cheren and I to come along and my dad . . . he was anxious as usual!" Distinctly, I caught the sound of Bianca stomping on a step.

"'We did this for her, now I need him,''' Cheren said, in a passable imitation of my mother's voice. "She called someone on the Xtransceiver, before telling us to get ready. I left, returning an hour later, seeing your mother dressed as a Pokemon Trainer, with Poke Balls attached to her waist."

"Cheren and I were declared uninvited at the doorway, so we ended up trying to find another way in, running into some grunts . . . and long story short . . . we defeated them, stripped them of their uniforms and barged into the hallway they were in." Bianca looked pleased with herself.

As we came up to the dais, I leaned my back against the wall, feeling the rays pouring down from the frosted window. "I don't care how you did it, but I'm really happy you came," I admitted.

N looked at me for a moment before turning away, uncertain how to react to the part he played in this mysterious deal between my mother and Ghetsis. "This stone must be of great importance to both Ghetsis and "Dawn,"" N said sagely. "Otherwise, why would they want to fight for it? Maybe this is the Jewel of Unova, not White."

Cheren rolled his eyes. "White's the Jewel of Unova," he disagreed. "This stone goes by a different name, and I agree with you for once. It has got to be important, meaning it's valuable and maybe dangerous."

"Lighten up," Bianca chided, placing her hands on her hips.

N snapped his head up. "Well, the Light and Dark Stones were powerful and dangerous when in the wrong hands," he reminded us all. "If "Dawn" wants this stone back, then Ghetsis stole it from Sinnoh back when they were teenagers."

"This is between them," I said, "so how are we involved? Did Ghetsis kidnap me for leverage?" I was pretty sure Ghetsis was hunting down my mother for years, which must've frightened her. Maybe that's why she changed her name from whatever it was before to Dawn Snow.

But what about my father? Did he know any of this? I barely had any memories of my father, and whenever I had pressed my mother for answers, she would change the subject, as if she were hiding something. Something tells me my father didn't abandon us, I thought, although I still felt the pain of being abandoned.

I took my back off against the wall, looking at N, Cheren and Bianca carefully. Somehow, they all viewed me as the leader in this. "So who's leader?" I said stupidly, exchanging looks with Cheren, barely seeing his eyes behind that hood of his.

"That was determined years ago," Cheren reminded me, half-annoyed, half-flabbergasted. "So, you lead."

N nodded, appearing to be okay with it. "You're a leader, not me," he told me.

"I agree with them totally," said Bianca merrily. "So, what are we waiting for? Let's head into the conference room, and grab the key." Bianca skipped up the stairs, her uniform flowing behind her. "When this is done and over with, I need a better-looking uniform, because this is ugly."

"Too bad," N replied. "That's the one Ghetsis had designed."

Cheren followed Bianca, his chin held up high and his back straight. "Don't be picky, okay?"

Finally, it was N and I, staring at each other. "You don't trust them," I observed.

N nodded. "I know they're your friends, but I just can't trust others." A gloomy expression was on his beautiful face, which didn't suit him. "They're nice, but . . . I lied to them about the stone." A shadow of a terrible memory was in his eyes, as if he didn't want to think about it. "I don't want to talk about it."

I smiled, seeing N's mouth twitch a little. "And unlike Bianca, I'm not gonna force you to," I remarked. "Even though Bianca's carefree and thoughtless, she's been my friend for years, and that means something to me, N.

"Cheren is anything but arrogant," I continued. "He's a very analytical and cautious person, with a keen intellect. Cheren dislikes making blunders with people so he doesn't trust them at first. After a while, he warms up to you."

Bianca yelled, "Quit with the chattering, and let's find the key."

N smiled. "If you don't do what she says, do you suffer the wrath of Bianca?"

"Pretty much," I said airily, before wheeling around, gliding up the last few flights of stairs, N literally on my tail.

N's PoV.

I do remember that night, but as much as I wanted to tell White, I couldn't bring myself to. It was over a decade ago, and that night was one I always buried away, a memory hounding me wherever I went.

To my slight surprise, White didn't ask for details. Instead, she'd switched the subject, indirectly telling me how she thought of her friends and how I should treat them.

Bianca, I could handle. Cheren . . . I couldn't stand how close he was to White and how he went out of his way to annoy me. White believed Cheren was only mistrustful of me, but being a teenager, I somewhat knew how a boy thought. So there was more to Cheren when it came to White. Or maybe I was just being paranoid.

When White and I reached the fifth floor, Bianca and Cheren were waiting for us, both leaning against the walls, painted a darker shade of yellow than downstairs. Behind both of them was a vast oil painting of Zekrom and Reshiram facing each other, infernos and thunderstorms raging around the Pokemon. Looming over the Pokemon was a shadow, obviously meant to be intimidating.

I always wondered whether the paintings depicting Zekrom and Reshiram meant something to Ghetsis when I was younger. I thought I found that out when Zekrom and Reshiram clashed against each other, but now I had the feeling that the answer I craved for so long that day had eluded me.

My mother, being obsessed with the legends, expressed this with her talent of painting them, as did her father . . . grandmother, and so forth. Maybe she knew the answer, but there was one complication: She was dead, never going to come back.

Cheren pointed toward the nearest door, which was slammed shut. "A secret passageway we'd taken led to this room, and that's how we found those keys."

"You know, I hate those idiots," I snarled. "I want nothing more than to get rid of them, and take back my Pokemon, White's Pokemon and my supplies plus White's."

White nodded. "I can't leave my other Pokemon behind." With that, White sprinted off, halting in front of the door, her hair dancing around wildly. She turned around, raw impatience on her face. "C'mon, I don't have all day!"

"Impatient as usual," I murmured, following Bianca and Cheren whilst thinking how strange it was for these corridors to be barren. How can they handle her impatience? I couldn't help wondering.

When all three of us crowded around White, she said, "If they're still snoozing, then we can't make noise."

Bianca counted her fingers, whispering, "There's a glass case and cupboards, along with some chairs, tables and nothing worth mentioning." She clapped her hand against her mouth, releasing a tiny laugh. "The door should be open, White."

White had her fingers wrapped around the glassy doorknob, stroking the facades absently. "If I march in, then I would land us all into terrible trouble or worse, at Ghetsis's mercy."

"That never stopped you before," Bianca reminded her. "As long as we're together, we can make the best out of the worst situation, right, Cheren?"

"Absolutely," Cheren concurred. "So, no matter what happens, open up the door, White."

White stood still for a moment, hesitating. "What do you think, N?" she asked suddenly, making Bianca, Cheren and me jump. "I scared you all, my bad."

I was astounded she had asked for my opinion on this matter. "After spending a while with in a cell, I don't mind – well – ummm . . . Let's just nab our belongings, the key and search for the stone," I managed, "but I don't think it would be in there."

Cheren shrugged his shoulders. "It's worth a shot," he told me. "You're complex, do you know that?" He looked at White, who glanced at the door for a while.

White took a deep breath, twisting the doorknob counterclockwise. "Here goes nothing," she said, swinging the door open. "Remember, check everything. But N might be right, Cheren, because Ghetsis wouldn't be stupid – although he is – enough to leave something such as the stone laying around." She vanished into the doorway, before the rest of us followed her.

I had only been in here once, yet it remained vastly intact. The closet doors were open, revealing a selection of male and female Team Plasma grunt outfits, several vending machines flanking the closet. Spread around the room were ovular tables, some stacked with papers and others free. Mismatched chairs were huddled against the wall while the others were either occupied by Team Plasma members or - the Shadow Triad.

Looking upward, I noticed cupboards containing who knows what. Some of them were ajar while others were slammed shut. Below the rows of cupboards was an enormous sink, the stainless steel polished. Tucked in the corner was a microwave, the plastic window sorta dirty.

"I think this may qualify as a recreation room," I piped up. "As White said, check everything, even the other rooms."

"I'll take the locker room," Cheren said quickly.

"Leave the recreation room to me!" Bianca winked, putting one thumb up.

I smiled. "Then, I'll take the library."

White appeared into the midst. "I'm coming with you," she told me.

"Why not me or Cheren?" Bianca asked. "Is N your new best friend forever?"

White turned red. "It's n-not l-like that!" She waved her arms, retreating a few steps back, almost bumping into a snoozing Team Plasma grunt. "It just feels right, you know. And if N wants me to search -"

I hid back a smile. "Do as you like," I agreed, before turning on my heel, silently creeping past a Team Plasma grunt who was famed for his acute hearing. Once I passed him, I made a sharp right turn, noticing the library door was open wide, the lighting dim.

Even though there was another library I went to, this one was off-limits to me - courtesy of Ghetsis. Now that he was out of the way, I was free to explore the place.

"Why here?" White asked me, making me flinch. "We should be helping Cheren and Bianca, not reading for leisure." Her countenance was half-curious, half-irate. "Unless you're looking for something, N." The brunette ambled over, her eyes luminous in the dimness of the mammoth library.

"Only the Sages, honorary grunts, Scientists and Ghetsis can be in here for an unlimited amount of time," I informed her before turning around, trying to recall where I first saw the book containing the accursed stone. "I, however, am forbidden to even be in here."

"You're looking for something," White guessed, "and that something is the stone, right?"

I slipped into one row, scanning a section of books pertaining to Kanto, which wasn't what I was looking for. "Take the other side," I requested, not tearing my eyes off the sea of books. "All of these seem to refer to Kanto -"

I spotted a promising book, titled, Stones of Legend. Hurriedly, I opened the book, flipping through the pages.

Adrenaline was flowing through me, because I was expecting for a flaw in this tome. "Nothing," I growled, sliding the book back into place. Behind me, I heard the turning of pages before the book was put back in its resting place.

"All it covered were Moon Stones, Dawn Stones, Dusk Stones, Shiny Stones and all of the stones used to evolve Pokemon," White admitted. "I don't know what to look for, N."

I might as well tell her, I conceded. "One of these books has an irregularity to it, containing the stone." Looking behind me, I beckoned for White to come, before trudging off. "The other sections cover the Sevii Islands, Johto, Orre, Hoenn and other regions," I remembered, "so what I'm looking for might be toward the back."

"You think it might be in the Sinnoh section," White guessed. "What if it's in the Unova section, N?" She seemed unconvinced about this fact, making two of us. "I think Sinnoh as well."

I looked up and down at the towering shelves, listing every region and the tomes covering them from A –Z. My heart was beating against my chest, since I was anxious and nervous. "Hoenn C- LA . . . Hoenn LA – ON," I read, feeling frustration claw up to the surface. "White, go on ahead and -"

White tapped me on the shoulder, forcing me to wheel around. "There's no need, N," she replied. "Here's Sinnoh, A – BU." Without waiting, White ventured into another corridor of the library maze, positioning herself on the left side of the shelf.

I turned my attention to the right side, tapping the spines of the books whilst reading the titles. "The Best of Sinnoh . . . Beginning of Time . . . Beginning of Space . . . Beginning of Dimensions . . . These are all out of order," I whispered to White, tapping volume after volume, searching in vain for the book I desperately coveted.

"Is this it?" White waved a thick, creamy white book, the spine recently repaired. "The Keepers of Legends and Myths, by . . . Someone damaged the author's name on purpose." White sounded livid at this.

Wheeling around, I went over to White, relieving her from the burden. "Yes, that's it!" I exclaimed, bending downward. Excitedly, I flipped the pages, not paying heed to the family tree, their history and origins.

When I reached the end of the tome, I noticed the irregularity I was searching for.

I traced the back carefully, before my fingers came in contact with a crevice. "I saw it in here," I told White, forgetting my earlier notion of Ghetsis always carrying the artifact with him. "Now . . ."

I dug my fingernail into the ersatz page concealing the crevice, budging it slightly. "Let me try, N," White suggested, "because I'm the one who found it."

"I'll lay it on your lap," I said, plopping the book atop her lap. "I really hate vandalizing books."

White nodded with agreement before sticking her fingers into the false page, her eyes determined. After a while, the part I budged tore itself cleanly from its wrongful resting place, White saying, "It's free." The brunette, holding her head up, delved her hand into the darkened crevice, probing every single inch.

Suddenly, White froze, her hand as still as night inside the crevice.

"Is it in there or not?" I asked eagerly, leaning over her shoulder to see her hand closed around something. "Open your hand, White."

White did as I said.

Slowly, she opened her palm, adrenaline coursing through my body as she did so.

A/N: "The Deal" is finished. Read and Review! I would love some feedback and reviews. In case you haven't voted, do so now!

This chapter has been edited slightly. None of the content was removed nor changed in order to retain the current plot. The reason for the editing is to promote the sequel, For the Love of a King: Eventide.

Edited On: 11/01/15